Singing Australian

"This is a fascinating history of Australian music from the early colonial origins of folk to the folk boom in the 1960s and the present day revival with huge festivals such as Woodford and Port Fairy made more interesting by today's creative blend of folk, country, rock and pop - all in a distinctly Australian style. 'Singing Australian' tells us much about Australian identity and society and is a lively account of the political and cultural forces that shaped our music. Graeme Smith explores the origins of country music from early bushbands and hillbillies, the pervasive American influence to its huge popularity today as shown in the state funeral of Australian icon Slim Dusty."--Publisher's website.